"Bang, bang, bang," the cabin door rang softly. Li Xuan, who was studying, raised his head, looked outside in surprise, and whispered, "What's the matter?"
"Reporting to the prince, it was the crown prince who sent someone a bowl of lotus seed soup." Li Zhu stood outside the door and bowed to narrate.
Li Xuan nodded and said clearly: "Send it in."
The boat curtain was opened, and a charming maid walked in holding a tray in her hand.
Seeing Li Xuan, the maid held the tray and said slightly, "My servant Jianing, I have met the king."
Li Xuan nodded gently and said, "Put your things down."
"Here!" Jianing placed the lotus seed soup and a few pastries on the tray on the low table.
Li Xuan took a look and then said: "Please go back to the Crown Princess and say that I am very grateful to Your Highness for the reward. There is a secret recipe here. Please ask Your Highness to go back and see the imperial doctor for a look. If it is suitable, take it according to the dosage." "
Li Xuan took out a piece of tissue paper from her sleeve and put it on the table. On it were written seven or eight rare medicinal materials and their respective dosages.
"My slave, you obey." Jianing picked it up carefully, took a look at it, and then put it in his waist bag. Then he breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest that was not very undulating.
Li Xuan wanted to laugh, but shook his head and said: "If you have anything to do with me in the future, you can go directly to Yuchi Xunyu and he will help deliver the message."
"Here!" Jianing bowed slightly again and then withdrew.
Li Xuan sighed softly. He was afraid that he would rarely have the opportunity to enter or leave the East Palace in the future.
Although the prince didn't hold him accountable for killing that man, he probably didn't have a good impression of him anymore.
But this is just right, it just cuts off the relationship between Li Xuan and Li Xian.
Li Xian has grown up and is surrounded by all kinds of people. There is no room for Li Xuan to interfere.
Although Li Xian has improved in many things because of his intervention, the essence remains unchanged.
What Li Xuan did was nothing more than dragging words.
Shaking his head slightly, Li Xuan picked up the book on the desk and continued to read it seriously.
There are three words written on the cover of the book: Lin Tao Zhi.
…
The ship returned to Chang'an, and Li Xuan waited until most of the people had left before coming out of the cabin.
Standing on the small deck, Li Xuan saw Li Xian standing on the dock at a glance.
Li Xuan jumped forward slightly, and at the edge of the stone steps of the pier, Li Xuan jumped in front of Li Xian in a blink of an eye, clapped her hands, and asked curiously: "Why didn't you go back?"
"Uncle Wang, it's not that Sanlang didn't go back, but he turned back halfway and came back to pick up Uncle Wang." Li Xian smiled bitterly and said, "On the dock just then, the second brother didn't mention Uncle Wang at all, so he just said When I returned to the East Palace, I had a cold attitude toward everyone, including Xian, Shiro, and even the emperor's wife."
Li Xuan glanced around, and then said: "Let's go, let's get in the car first."
"Yes, yes!" Li Xian suddenly came to his senses, and then quickly asked Li Xuan to get on the carriage.
Li Xuan looked back and felt relieved when she saw that Li Zhu had already blended into the escort team of Prince Ying's Mansion.
"Isn't it true that the emperor just killed one of his playthings? Is that all?" Li Xian couldn't help complaining.
Since that night, Li Xuan killed the man in black whose identity he didn't know. Li Xian woke up the next day. After knowing the whole story, he didn't go out for two days, except for Liu Nayan, the prince who passed away. He only met once when someone asked him about something, and he didn't see anyone else.
Li Xuan naturally knew that all of this was because of him. In fact, it was not just because Li Xuan killed the man in black. More importantly, Li Xuan drugged Li Xian, a drug that stimulates the vitality of life. , used on Li Xian and Crown Princess Fang.
But it was a pity that the couple only got along on that one day in the past three days. After that, the Crown Prince Li Xian directly avoided the Crown Princess.
At this scene, not only Li Xuan frowned, but everyone who saw it also frowned.
why is that?
Li Xuan thought for a while and said: "You and I can just talk about these words, don't say it to anyone else... Your Majesty, let's not get involved in the Crown Prince's affairs anymore. Everything is subject to the arrangements of His Majesty and the Queen. You need it now." It’s your business that’s focused on.”
Seeing Li Xuan's solemn expression, Li Xian was stunned for a moment, then nodded and asked softly: "Uncle Wang, what is the purpose of your father asking me and Shiro to go to Lintao this time?"
"Let's hold on." Li Xuan took a deep breath and said: "The 80,000-strong army has its own commander, but it is inevitable that there will be dissenters. In the battle of Dafeichuan, Guo Daifeng did not follow the orders of Pingyang County Duke and made arbitrary changes. During the march, the army finally showed its flaws and was defeated by Lun Qinling. Tens of thousands of troops were destroyed in one blow.
The actions of His Majesty and the Queen are probably to prevent what happened that day from happening again. "
Li Xian's eyebrows twitched. How could he not know the risks of advancing the army?
Although Lintao is in the rear area, it is actually not far from the front line and even from Dafeichuan. It may fall into a dangerous situation at any time.
"Uncle Wang, tell me, who will be the commander of these armies?" Li Xian couldn't help but asked worriedly.
Li Xuan took a breath, and then said: "The army commander who can be symbolized by you and the Prime Minister will at least be someone like Duke Wenxi."
Pei Xingjian, the Duke of Wenxi County and Minister of War, and Xue Rengui, the Duke of Pingyang County and acting governor of the state.
Li Xuan paused for a moment and sighed softly: "I'm afraid Pingyang County Duke will stay in Daizhou and keep an eye on the Eastern Turkic tribes to prevent the Turks from making any further moves when the army goes to war with Tibet. But if the commander is Wenxi County Sir, the earlier this matter is arranged the better, why is it still kept secret to this day?"
Li Xuan didn't understand that the matter of the army's coach shouldn't be too secretive.
After all, with the army coach, all aspects of the front line can be spread quickly.
"Isn't the Duke of Wenxi County the commander-in-chief of the army?" Li Xian glanced at Li Xuan casually and jokingly, and then saw that Li Xuan's face turned completely cold.
…
Li Xuan wore a crimson official robe and was waiting outside Zichen Hall.
As soon as he returned to Chang'an, he was immediately ordered to come to Zichen Palace by imperial edict.
However, he should have been summoned as soon as he arrived, but at this moment, a crackling sound could be clearly heard in the Zichen Palace, and items were smashed to the ground, as if someone was venting their anger coldly.
Not to mention Li Xuan, even the servants who summoned him looked embarrassed and worried. He didn't even dare to go in to answer the order.
Li Xuan's face was a little solemn. In the entire Tang Dynasty, there were very few people who could make Empress Wu so angry. What happened?
Just then, Empress Wu's roar came from the palace: "Go, go in person. Are you going to escort that beast here now?"
"Here!" There was a faint voice of promise in the palace, followed closely by the sound of hurried footsteps coming from inside.
However, the footsteps soon became calmer, and a figure wearing a purple robe appeared in front of Li Xuan.
When Li Xuan saw him, he also saw Li Xuan.
Li Xuan was the first to react and quickly said, "Your Majesty, Li Xuan, has met Mr. Pei."
Pei Yan nodded, looked at Li Xuan, slightly raised his hand in return, and then said calmly: "It turns out to be the King of Nanchang. The Queen is still waiting. Please come to the King of Nanchang!"
"Mr. Pei, please!" Li Xuan bowed, and then watched Pei Yan leave the Zichen Palace and head toward the palace gate.
Li Xuan turned to look at the eunuch on one side. The eunuch had already reacted, with a wry smile on his face, glanced at Li Xuan, and then walked lightly into the palace.
Li Xuan stood in front of the hall, her eyes gradually becoming playful.
The seeds that were planted before are now blooming.
A moment later, a voice came from the palace: "The Queen Mother has issued an order to announce the audience of King Nanchang."
After taking a deep breath, Li Xuan walked into the Zichen Hall solemnly and steadily.
In a very short period of time, the Zichen Palace had been cleaned up, and only a few fragments of celadon remained in the most remote corner.
Li Xuan saluted respectfully: "I, the King of Nanchang, Li Xuan, the young minister of Honglu Temple, pay my respects to the Queen of Heaven."
"No courtesy!" Empress Wu looked up at Li Xuan and asked coldly: "King Nanchang, do you know what happened to the Leng family and their son?"
Li Xuan was stunned for a moment, raised her head in astonishment, and asked: "The Queen is talking about the mother and son of the Leng family who were killed years ago?"
Empress Wu nodded lightly, but the look on her face was very ugly.
Li Xuan's face was full of surprise, and then she held up her hands and said: "Queen Qi, if I remember this correctly, Leng Lin should have borrowed a high amount of loan subsidies to resell goods from Hangzhou, and he died on the road in the end. , the goods were seized by the Ministry of Punishment, causing the Leng family to fail to pay the money, so the person behind the loan forced the mother and son to hang themselves."
After a slight pause, Li Xuan said: "If I remember correctly, their mother and son should have approached Pei Shangshu before the accident. Therefore, after the mother and son died, Pei Shangshu suffered a lot of rumors, but after this incident, Not much progress.”
Empress Wu looked at Li Xuan without saying a word. Li Xuan stood in the hall, holding her hands in her hands, with a calm expression, as if she didn't know what happened next.
Empress Wu finally nodded and said softly: "It seems that you have not cared about this matter for too long. The Leng family's matter was indeed caused by Leng Lin's greed for money and borrowing usury, which eventually led to the destruction of the family, but it was the matter of forcing the Leng family's mother and son to hang themselves. Behind the scenes, someone is manipulating it.
The usurer was later found hanging at home. After the Ministry of Punishments sent people to investigate, I originally thought it was the hands of the established families in Chang'an, but today, the Ministry of Punishments has found out the reason. "
Li Xuan's expression suddenly became solemn, and then she cupped her hands and said, "May I ask the Queen, who is the person behind this?"
"It's Chengsi, Chengsi, Chengsi!" Empress Wu slapped the table hard with anger in her eyes.
"Ah?" Li Xuan's eyes widened in an instant, but soon he lowered his head and cupped his hands and said: "Queen of Heaven, could it be that I made a mistake? Although I don't know much about Duke Zhou, I know it after several contacts. He is a cautious person, how could he get involved in such things so easily?"
Seeing that Li Xuan had been helping Wu Chengsi to speak, Empress Wu's doubts were completely dissipated. Then she saw Empress Wu waving her hands and gritting her teeth and said: "This matter was investigated by the people from the Ministry of Punishment day and night. The evidence is conclusive. I, Let’s see what he will say when he comes later.”
Secretary Supervisor, Wu Chengsi.
Of course Li Xuan knew that the person who was hiding behind some people and trying to frame Li Xuan, Li Jingye and Pei Yan was Wu Chengsi.
But he never told anyone, he just made some reminder arrangements secretly.
Now that Pei Yan has found out the truth himself, as long as Pei Yan can justify himself, many people will believe it.
What's more, this is the truth.
Seeing Li Xuan's silence, Empress Wu directly waved her hands and said: "Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's talk about your trip to Lishan. Do you think the Crown Princess can give birth to my first legitimate grandson? "
Li Xuan shook his head directly and said cautiously: "In response to the Queen of Heaven, regarding this matter, I am just trying my best to serve Your Majesty, the Queen of Heaven and the Crown Prince, but after one night, I don't dare to mess with whether an heir will be born. Said. But I think after what happened that day, the prince and the princess have more contact, and there will be many more opportunities in the future. "
"Really?" Empress Wu turned her head slightly and looked at Li Xuan, with a complex look in her eyes.
Once Li Xian has a child, everything will slow down, and the conflict with Empress Wu will not be so intense.
This is what Empress Wu wants to see.
After all, Li Xian is her son, and she doesn't want to kill him yet.
(End of chapter)
